Muzzle



A. KlNSKlE March 7, 1950 MUZZLE Filed April 5, 1948 INVENTOR. A/w A haw 0E Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUZZLE Adam L. Kinskie, Morristown, Tenn.

Application April 5, 1948, Serial No. 19,129

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dog muzzles, and more particularly and specifically to a self-adjusting dog muzzle of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a dog muzzle which is readily adjustable to dogs of various sizes and of various head formations. Additionally, the construction of this muzzle allows it to adjust itself automatically to a dogs head while it is being worn, thereby making it an extremely comfortable muzzle for the dog.

Another object of this invention lies in the provision of a dog muzzle which is made entirely of a soft material, such as leather or the like, which will completely prevent the dog from biting anyone, but a muzzle which allows freedom of movement and freedom from heavy and uncomfortable metallic fittings and elements.

Still a further object of this invention is the provision of a dog muzzle which is of an extremely simple and inexpensive design and construction, yet a muzzle which is durable and longlasting.

Still further improvements and advantages of this invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the muzzle as worn by a dog.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the muzzle.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the muzzle.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of this invention and in which like characters indicate similar parts throughout A designates a fiat, substantially oval, piece of leather or the like. This piece A is provided with two substantially diametrically opposed, and equally spaced, pairs of slotted openings I and 2.

An elongated strap 3, of leather or the like, is inserted from the top of the piece A through one of the slotted openings I, crossed diagonally under the piece A, and is projected upwardly through the opposed slotted opening I to project above the piece A. The same strap 3 is then drawn through the openings I to form a substantial loop 4 as the leading free end is turned downward and inserted through that opening 2 transversely adjacent the second mentioned opening I. It is then crossed over the portion thereof between the openings I and inserted upwardly through the second of the openings 2 where it is again drawn up to be looped as at 5 in joining the other free end 6 thereof. The first mentioned end of the strap 3 is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced holes B, while the second mentioned end 6 is provided with a conventional buckle I which receives the first mentioned end and adjustably locks it in the conventional manner so as to form a continuous strap.

A closed strap loop 8 is slidably secured on the loop 5 of the strap 3, and a buckle 9 is secured on this strap loop 8. An elongated strap piece I0 is slidably secured by a loop II at one end to the loop 4 of the strap 3. The second free end I2 of the strap piece I0 is adapted, by a longitudinal series of holes C, to be secured in the aforementioned buckle 9.

An elongated strap piece I3, of a substantially greater transverse width than the other strap pieces, is secured at one end by a rivet I4 or the like to the underside of the forward end of the flat, oval member A. The second free end of this widened strap piece I 3 is tapered inwardly to form a narrower strap extension I5. This extension I5 is adapted by a series of spaced holes D to be looped upwardly over the front of the muzzle and secured in a buckle I6 which is secured in the looped end II of the strap piece ID, thereby completing the structure of the muzzle.

In application of the muzzle to a dog, the strap loop 5 is secured, by means of the adjustable buckle I, about the neck of the animal in the manner of a collar. This places the flat, oval member A under the jaw of the dog, and

, likewise it places the strap loop 4 over the bridge of the animals nose. These collar and nose straps are adjustable in length by means of the buckle l, and interadjustable by means of the fact that they are formed of a single strap which is slidably adjustable in any direction through the slots I and 2 in the fiat member A.

The strap piece ill is now disposed rearwardly from the nose strap 4 over the dogs head to its secured position in the buckle 9. It is the purpose of this adjustable strap piece ID to retain the nose strap l at a position sufiiciently rearward from the dogs nose to prevent him from using a paw and pushing the nose strap over his nose so that it would hang inefiectively from thecollar strap.

The widened strap member I3, which for all practical purposes comprises the actual muzzle piece, now extends from beneath the dogs jaw upwardly across his mouth and nose to its point of attachment to the buckle I6. This buckle permits the adjustment of the muzzle strap [3 so that it comfortably clears the nose of the dog and in no way irritates or discomforts him. However, inasmuch as this mouth strap extends transversely over the mouth of the dog it completely prevents him from biting or nipping because it prevents anything from entering his mouth.

Thus it may be readily seen that an efiective, yet comfortable, self-adjusting dog muzzle has been provided which is claimed as follows.

What I claim is:

A dog muzzle comprising a flat generally ovate shaped member of leather or the like provided I with two substantially diametrically opposed pairs of slotted openings, an elongated .strap' piece of adjustable length passing. through each.

of .the loopsof the figure veight,.the fiat member'- being provided with;an.extending end terminat- 4 ing beneath the extremity of one of the loops, and an adjustable strap of enlarged transverse Width interconnecting the extremity of the lastnamed loop of said figure eight and the terminus of the extending end of the flat member substan tially as illustrated and described.

ADAM L. KINSKIE.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 526,538 Redmond Sept. 25, 1894 1,175,033 Williams Mar. 14, 1916 1,543,960 Tobin et a1. June 30, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29,417 Austria Aug. 10, 1907 280,767 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1927 

